Textile Industry in Kerala

The textile industry in Kerala balances a rich heritage of traditional handlooms with a modern, state-supported public spinning and cooperative sector. The first cotton mill in the region, the Malabar Spinning and Weaving Mill, was established in 1883 in Kallai, Kozhikode. Parvathi Mills in Kollam followed soon after in 1884. Many early private mills faced severe financial distress over the decades, prompting the government to step in. There are 17 spinning mills operating in the state across the cooperative and public sectors. There are 9 spinning mills under the 3 State Public Sector Undertakings, namely, Kerala State Textile Corporation Limited (7 mills), Sitaram Textiles Limited and Trivandrum Spinning Mills Limited. There are 8 co-operative spinning mills in Kerala. They are part of Kerala State Cooperative Textile Federation Limited (TEXFED). The Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) operating under the Department of Industries and Commerce, Government of Kerala, in the textile sector are as follows:

■ Kerala State Textile Corporation Ltd (KSTC)

Kerala State Textile Corporation Ltd was established in 1972 as a subsidiary of KSIDC with the objective of setting up textile mills in the state. Operations commenced for Alagappa Textiles Ltd in Kochi, Parvathi Mills Ltd in Kollam, Vijayamohini Mills Ltd in Thiruvananthapuram, and Lakshmi Mills Limited in Thrissur. In 1975, these mills were taken over by the National Textile Corporation. Operations began for a testing laboratory named the Centre for Applied Research and Development in Textiles (CARDT) in 1982, and for Sitaram Textiles Limited and Trivandrum Spinning Mill in 2009–10. KSTC manages seven textile mills and a laboratory located across various parts of the state. Four mills and a research and testing centre operate under the Corporation. The Corporation's research and testing centre is located at Balaramapuram in Thiruvananthapuram district. The seven mills are Prabhuram Mills, Kottayam Textiles, Edarikkode Textiles, Malabar Spinning and Weaving Mills, Hi Tech Weaving Mills, Komalapuram Spinning and Weaving Mills and Uduma Textile Mills.

■ Kerala State Co-Operative Textile Federation Ltd (TEXFED)

TEXFED functions as the apex body for spinning mills and powerloom cooperative societies within Kerala's cooperative sector. It is involved in various stages of production, ranging from yarn manufacturing and weaving to garment making. TEXFED operates eight spinning mills equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. These mills are: The Alleppey Co-Operative Spinning Mills Ltd, The Trichur Co-Operative Spinning Mills Ltd, The Cannannore Co-Operative Spinning Mills Ltd, The Quilon Co-Operative Spinning Mills Ltd, The Malappuram Co-Operative Spinning Mills Ltd, The Malabar Co-operative Textiles Ltd (MALCOTEX), The Priyadarsini Co-operative Spinning Mills Ltd and K.Karunakaran Memorial Co-operative Spinning Mills Ltd.